Slow-Baked Salmon And Citrus Butter Recipe
Salmon is one of the healthier types of fish out there, and you really should start eating more of it, if you can. That being said, it's probably best to opt for wild-caught over farmed-raised salmon. It's actually not all that difficult to prepare, either. Recipe developer Kate Shungu describes her slow-baked salmon with citrus butter as "an easy recipe that you could make on a weeknight," but one that's "special enough for a dinner party, too."
What's so special about this recipe is that, while salmon is usually baked at higher temperatures, Shungu says "This recipe cooks the salmon at 250 F, which combined with the citrus butter, makes the salmon so succulent." Not only does the fish stay tender and moist, but Shungu notes that an additional benefit of using the slow-roasting method for fish is that "It's difficult to overcook it because the heat is so low."
Gather the ingredients for the salmon with citrus butter
In addition to the salmon, you'll need some olive oil, and salt to season the fish. For the citrus butter, you'll be using softened butter, of course, plus 3 different types of citrus zest: lime, orange, and lemon.
Bake the salmon
Preheat the oven to 250 F, then put the salmon in a pan. Drizzle the fish with the olive oil, sprinkle it with ½ teaspoon of salt, then bake it for 35 to 50 minutes, or until you can easily flake it with fork. "If you prefer the salmon be cooked all the way through," Shungu tells us, "It will take about 50 minutes," but even then, "The salmon may look raw on top [as] the result of the low oven temperature." The salmon doesn't need to be cooked for that long, though, as she says it should be safe to eat after just 35 minutes in the oven.
Make the citrus butter
Once the salmon starts to bake, you'll need to get started on the compound citrus butter. Mix the softened butter with the remaining salt plus the citrus zest, then put it onto a piece of plastic wrap, and roll it up into a log shape. Refrigerate your plastic-wrapped butter log until the salmon is done.
Top the salmon with the citrus butter
As soon as the salmon is cooked, cut the butter log into ¼-inch circles, and top it on the fish. If you're only using 1 piece of butter per filet, you'll likely have quite a bit left over, so be sure to stick it back in the refrigerator before it melts. If you prefer to use it all up, though, you can certainly do that, too. You can also garnish it with some sliced lemon.
Should you have leftover fish, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Shungu advises that you can "Reheat [the salmon] in the oven or in the microwave."
- 1½ pounds salmon, cut into 4 fillets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 lime, zest only
- 1 orange, zest only
- 1 lemon, zest only
- lemon slices
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Place salmon in a pan, then drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt.
- Bake for 35 to 50 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
- While the salmon cooks, combine the remaining salt with the butter and the lime, orange, and lemon zest. Place the butter on a piece of plastic wrap, and roll the butter into a log shape. Refrigerate the compound citrus butter until the salmon is cooked.
- Slice the compound butter into ¼-inch thick coins, and top it on each piece of salmon. Refrigerate any leftover compound butter and salmon.
| Calories per Serving | 561 |
| Total Fat | 43.6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16.6 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.7 g |
| Cholesterol | 139.3 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 7.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.7 g |
| Total Sugars | 3.7 g |
| Sodium | 539.4 mg |
| Protein | 35.5 g |
